INDIANAPOLIS ─ Today, State Senator J.D. Ford (D─Indianapolis) voted in favor of the state’s proposed biennial budget. Indiana’s budget is drafted in odd-numbered years and this year’s budget will be put in place for FY 2022 and 2023.

Sen. Ford offered the following comments on his support of the bill:

“There is a lot I support in this budget. These include increased funding for teacher pay, mental health, CTE, direct service provider pay, food desert projects, learning loss grants and state patrol raises and body cams.

“However, I remain concerned about the expansion of voucher programs that take money away from traditional public schools and about the new Education Savings Accounts that we are creating with this budget. I also wish that more of Indiana Senate Democrats’ proposed amendments would have been adopted into the budget.

“When I look at the budget in totality, this budget isn’t perfect. I would have liked to have seen more. I’m not voting for this budget for me, I am voting for this budget for all the good things it will do for my constituents.

“On this budget, the good outweighs the bad.”

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